ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

It's hard to believe I've only been in America for six months. So much has happened!



We flew from Osaka to San Francisco to Boise, Idaho where we stayed with my parents. I had a lot of job interviews, and there was a computer company that wanted to hire me, but the background check would have taken too long and been to expensive. Then I was offered a job as a bus driver in Utah, so we put all our things in a little Honda and drove there. I was studying for my commercial driver's license test and my American English teaching certification when Stephanie got a job as the library director in the little town of Glasgow, Montana. It was a much better job than being a bus driver, so we put all of our stuff back in the car and drove to Montana.



We found a nice little apartment and Stephanie started her job, but after a few days the Library Board decided to fire her. It's a complex political situation and we still don't understand why she was fired. So we were stuck in a tiny town with no jobs and no money. I got some part-time work at the jail while we kept looking for jobs, but it was a few long, hard months before Stephanie found a new job at the library in Lynchburg, Virginia. We put all our stuff back in the car and drove for three days to get to our new home.



Lynchburg, Virginia seems a lot like Shikoku. Idaho and Utah are cool, dry and have lots of high mountains. Eastern Montana was cool, dry and flat. Virginia is warm, humid and hilly, with lots of trees and even cicadas and bamboo. There are actually a lot of Japanese restaurants here, too, but they're not very good. Stephanie's job is much better, and I get to stay home with Emma. I'm also doing some part-time work on the Internet for Google.



Emma is 15 months old now. She learned to walk and she loves doing lots of things by herself. She isn't quite talking yet, but she understands a lot, and she always gets very excited when she hears people speaking Japanese.  

We had so much fun in my Baby Club this Friday that kids were exhausted by the time it finished. Singing songs and doing dances like "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" really takes it out of you. Good thing they fell asleep after class and not during! Seeing the kids like this makes me know I did my job!  

I remember as a child falling in love with many aspects of Japan. It started with Anime and grew rapidly from there. Looking back I recall the research I did on the culture and tradition, the language and so much more and decided in both my mind and in my heart that Japan was where I was supposed to be. I set my goal in my mind and looked toward the future. I didn't know how I would reach Japan, but I knew that one day, even if it was just a visit, I would. During my last year in University I decided to look into possible jobs in Japan and found GEM School. GEM School made my dream to reach Japan a reality. I arrived in Japan and fell in love further. The culture and tradition that I wasn't able to study I have been able to live and experience daily. It's such a beautiful thing. I look forward to every day in Japan, because every day is and will always be a new adventure.   続きを読む

I was sick last weekend so my weekend did not start off very well. I did get better pretty quickly and was able to go around Takamatsu, visit some shops, and see some sights with some friends. We went to Ritsurin Garden, Symbol Tower, an Amusement Park, and some shops in the Shotengai. While I was visiting shops I found a dinosaur. The dinosaur looked very dangerous so I had to make sure it was safe. This picture is of me checking the dinosaur to make sure it's safe.

I ended up having fun last weekend and I got a lot better too.  

Babies love hoola-hoops!

As an exercise to assist in developing motor skill related English, the Wednesday morning Babies And Moms class enjoyed playing with hoops while choosing their favorite colors, putting their bodies through the hoops, rolling them on the ground and spinning them on their arms.


Good times with toddlers!!
  

Two years ago I moved to Japan to teach English at GEM School. The two years have flown by and I’ve learned a lot from my time here. It blows my mind how far my students have come. Two years ago some were in Let’s Go 2 and now I have the honor of teaching them at an advanced level. We can communicate easily and have even more fun. I’m proud of them!  

“MMMMMM….” Bruce takes a break before studying his English with me. He enjoys a hard pretzel before going in to learn the colors and classroom objects. “PENCIL, CHAIR, TABLE” The kids can save up play money to use for buying treats at the Gem School Store. It gives them something to work for and a nice treat to get through a hard day of studying.   

Saturday homestay club hangs out at the park! After the thrilling soccer shootout competition, the kids take a break on the jungle gym. Some rehearse their Olympic gymnast skills and others train for the circus. Stuart practices the art of camouflage. Next, we learned to play Rock, Paper, Scissors. Later on we headed back to Gem School for snack time and a game of Bingo. Lots of fun!  

Summer has finally come to an end and the weather has already begun to get much cooler. I had a lot of fun this summer. I went hiking on Ishizuchi. I hung out in Matsuyama a few times. I went to the beach in Kochi. I saw the whirlpools in Naruto. And I went rafting two times in Tokushima and Kochi. But the most fun I had this summer was participating in the Awa Odori Festival in Tokushima City. It was such a great experience and I was trusted with carrying the huge lanterns. What an honor! I hope you all had a great summer, too!